Traveling with children can be difficult.  Dealing with a terminal illness is definitely difficult.  Doing both, at the same time...
 

     The two girls stood, shoulder to shoulder, fingers twisted together.  Jointly, they presented the perfect picture of wealthy indulgence, scrubbed, pampered, dressed in the pinnacle of preteen fashion.  Joanie, the redhead, wore green.  Evie, the blonde, wore blue.  Each had started the day with a becoming mass of corkscrew curls captured in a delicate clasp, Joanie’s remained that way, but Evie’s had long since gone flat.

     “Ah.  Lady Evalan.”  The liner’s captain greeted me, his eyes sliding over the pair as they stood gripping each other and their travel cases.  “These must be the girls.”  

     Of course they were, I thought, but didn’t say.  I sensed that he was about to patronize himself into a corner.... he had Evie’s unblinking attention now, and I knew that look.  Joanie was still oblivious, slower to react than her companion was.  

     “Of course.” he answered himself.  “The shorter one has your look about her.”

     Evie’s look went from unblinking attention to raptor fascination.  She was ‘the shorter one’, a designation she despised.  I chose to ignore the statement.... Evie was not above including me in any planned retribution for her bruised ego, the child was devious verging on evil.  Her antics were not exactly something I wanted to deal with on this trip.  I was already tired enough, and it was only going to get worse.  

     “Evie.”  I motioned towards her, “And Joanie.”  

     Joanie grinned goofily at the introduction, Evie merely nodded when her name fell.  

     “You’ll be in the forward cabin.”  The liner captain stated.  “I’ll show you the way, if you follow me.”  

     The hard soles of the girls’ flat shoes clicked in harmony as they fell into step behind me, Joanie’s steps softer and longer immediately to my back, Evie’s louder, shorter, sharper, as she took up the rear.   I knew exactly how they looked without needing to see them.... both would toddle primly along in my wake, heads bowed, gloved hands gripping the handle of their travel cases.... the picture of good behavior.  I felt sorry for any one who was sucked in by such a blatant act.  

     “You’re traveling alone, Lady Evalan?”  The captain asked dubiously, leading the way through the liner’s bowels.  

     “No.  I have the girls with me.”  I answered, noting the obvious.  That wasn’t what he meant; he was hoping for some sort of private security, or, in the very least, my own doctor.  

     “I... see.”  He breathed, stopping at the forward cabin door.  “Should I inform the ship’s doctor....” He swallowed the remainder of the sentence off as Evie broke from her rear guard position and came up beside me.  Her fingers gripped mine, as she fixated the poor man with that stare again.  

     “That won’t be necessary.”  I sighed, giving her gloved hand a squeeze.  “I have no intention of dying on your ship, good sir.”